Feeling like a charred stick happens to all of us, both in our personal and professional lives. This is the wood that goes through the fire, but doesn’t quite complete the burn. The charred stick symbolism depicts something left behind because it’s used up and no longer of any value. At some point we all go through this, and it makes us unattractive to others and feeling useless. When I’ve felt like a charred stick, it’s been a result of committing some repulsive and regrettable act, or making avoidable mistakes that ruin presentations and business deals.
In the business of healthcare, there are charred sticks in many forms. They may be large or small, and personal or process-related in nature, but they undoubtedly exist. We experience this on both ends. At times we feel like the charred stick, and at other points, we are leaving the useless waste behind.
Today’s healthcare landscape can be “Helter Skelter,” chaotic, and overwhelmingly complex. It’s no wonder there are charred sticks everywhere! Keeping your wits and acting rationally in all situations may seem impossible at times. There are so many moving parts that we find ourselves responsible for. We are faced with regulation after regulation, constantly changing methodologies, intense watchdog activities, and severe financial pressures and penalties.
It’s no surprise that damage is done to employees and processes in the wake of the industry intensity and churn. Right now we await what could be a series of adjustments to the ACA, or even a significant dismantling of the bill that has already caused so much disruption over the last eight years. This in itself is not one person’s fault, but has caused drastic changes in the industry. Getting ahead of this has placed immense pressure on us all, and has caused many charred sticks to be left behind.
As leaders, there is no excuse for leaving charred remains everywhere. At the end of the day, with so much change, there is an adjustment for everyone. It is the responsibility of leadership to mentor and lead our people through their tough times. Our attitude and approach are critical when challenges arise, and how we carry ourselves and lead our teams will determine whether or not we create any charred sticks.
While not leaving charred sticks behind is important, it’s even more vital that we aren’t the ones doing the charring. If you find yourself in this position, it is imperative that you evaluate yourself and start to make changes immediately. In order to have long-term success, we need to enable our teams to learn and grow, and charring them prohibits this from happening. The best leaders recognize when they are doing this, and have the courage to step back and correct it. As we lead our teams to grow, it is important for us to do the same. Evaluate where you are and where you want to be, figure out the gap that separates the two, and build your roadmap to get there. Do this for yourself and for your teams and you will minimize the charred sticks throughout your organization.
For those who are currently in a charred state, or have been in the past and still feel the effects, please realize that charred sticks make excellent kindling. They are cured to ignition readiness and create heat to help build a larger fire. Sometimes the charring in our lives prepares us to ignite others around us creating light, warmth and energy to burn for a greater cause.
Leaders who focus on building productive fires versus scorching souls will take their organizations to the next level. It takes courage to become a better leader. There is no way around that! Lead by example and make sure you ignite the best flame in your employees, one that burns hot and leaves no charred sticks behind. It may not always be easy but it has to start now, today, and continue for a lifetime.